Captive cap



A. WEIDMANN 1,811,904

A CAPTIVE CAP Filed Feb. 20, 1929 fz? --P L if? 7 64,- +6

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'ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 193i ALBERT WEIDMAN'N, or BUFFALO, NEW Yonx'OArrIvE CAP Application led February 20, 1929. Serial No. 341,318.

The invention relates to closure devices for containers generally, andmore particularly to that construction of a closure cap deviceespecially adapted for use with collapsible 6 tubes and usually termed acaptive cap.

It is well'known that the screw closure caps Ordinarily provided fOr usewith collapsible tubes are unsatisfactory in that they are easilydropped and lost or mislaid, and

also' because they cannot be quickly removed from Or replaced in closingrelation to the mouth of the tube.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a closuredevice which will be free from the objectionable features referred to,being held at all times to the tube itself, or rather the neck portionthereof, and which can be quickly 1 manipulated by the fingers of thesame hand in which the tube is held. y

To this end, the invention comprises `a .closure cap member or devicefor a collapsible tube having a. hinged relation tothe mouth portion ofsaid tube, an important feature of the invention being the provision Ofa combined hinging and latching or lockin element for the cap member,the same bemg carried and wholly sup-ported on the neck portion of thetube and having outward extensions arran ed for convenient engagementtherewith y the fingers Of vthe user. This is accomplished by mounting aspring element, which is in the nature of a circular outwardly expandingspring wire, in a circumferential recess formed by turning downwardlyand under the flange of a sleeve fitted over the neck Of the tube, saidwire extending through a hinge lug of a cap member to form the pivot pintherefor and the said cap member having a catch for locking engagementwith said wire and to be disengaged therefrom by a suitable manipulationOf Outwardly extending separated ends Or actuat.

ing fingers of the spring element.

The nature of the invention, however, will --bes't be understood whendescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: l

Fig. 1 is a view in fro-nt elevation of a portion Of a collapsible tubeequipped with the novel closure device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken On the line 33, Fig. 1 of the drawings; and Fig. 4: is a similar view showing the capelement released from locking engagement with the sleeve element of theclosure device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line5-5, Fig. 2 of the drawings; and Fig. 6 isnan enlarged horizontalsection taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 7 is a cap member.

Referring to the drawings for a more de tailed description of theinvention, 1() designates a container which may, for example,

detail view in elevation of the be a collapsible tube such as is used tohold tqoth paste, shaving cream or other materia s. end with a shoulderportion 11 and a cylindrical neck portion 12 provided with asuitableopening 13 therethrough, which opening, however, may be of anydesired formation in cross-section.

Over the outer end of said neck there is designed to be mounted forrigid attachment thereto, as through a friction fit, a sleeve 15 havingthe circular flange 16 and seated preferably on a shoulder 17 of thesaid neck, although it is to be understood that various means ofsecuring the sleeve to the neck may v be adopted.

The iiange 16, moreover, is turned downwardly and over at its edge toafford a circular circumferential recess 18 in which there is seated anoutwardly expanding circular spring wire 19 having, however, a flattenedortion 2O for the purpose hereinafter set The container 10 is providedat its l Orth. The particular manner shown of rei taining this wire toits sleeve may, of course, be altered to meet manufacturingrequirements, and I therefore do not wish to be restricted to thespecific arrangement set forth, as itis necessary merely that the saidwire be v properly positioned with respect to its sleeve and heldthereto. The free ends Of said wire 19, moreover, are separated andproject radially outwardly therefrom as through a cutaway section-21 andform Enger pieces 22 which may be utilized for manipulating the lockingmember of the cap element in releasing the latter. The edges of the saidcutaway section 21, furthermore, afford shoulders serving to limit theextent of separation of the fingers and tension the spring.

Further cutaway sections 23 and24 are provided in the recess portion ofthe flange and are located diametrically opposite each other exposingthe corresponding wire portions 20 and 25. 4About the exposed portion 20is turned over a hinge lug 26 of the cap element 27 designed to closeover the outlet 13, said cap element 'to this end containing preferablya cork liner or washer 28 designed, when the cap the outer end of theneck. This hinge lu may conveniently be provided integrally with the capmember 27, as shown by the dotted line position' thereof, Fig. 7 of thedrawings, and then turned upwardly and about the said wire portion 20 toeffect the .hinge connection.

-At its diametrically opposite portion, cap 27 is provided with a catchor hook member 29 which is designed to register with the cutaway section24 when the cap is lowered to lts locking position and in this positionit will also engage with the corresponding wire portion 25 which, beingurged outwardly under its natural resiliency, will lock in the catchmember and hold thereby the cap in the closed position. However, when itis desired to lift the cap to deliver the contents of the containerthrough-the opening 13, the spring 19 is contracted by pressing togetherthe fingers 22 of said spring which, normally, are maintained separatedthough restricted in their outward travel by the shoulders of the`flange formed at the cutaway section 2l thereof. This draws inwardlythe portion 25 from thefcatch 29, as indicated in Fig. 4; of thedrawings, so that the cap is released from its locking engagement andmay be swung back about the hinging portion 20 of wire to free theoutlet 13. l

It will be noted, also, that the wire portion 20 is moved therebslightly inwardly due to the contraction o the spring, and this exerts alifting action on the forward portion of the cap tending to assist inthe opening of the same.

v By the foregoingiarrangement, a very simple and inexpensive captivecap device is provided which may readily be attached to collapsibletubes of the well-known type without requiring alteration in the latter.This cap serves, moreover, normally to retain the tube sealed and isconveniently and readily opened for discharge of the contents therefrom.

is fully closed, to contact with g therefrom when the separated 1. In aclosure device for containers having an outlet neck, a cap for closingsaid outlet neck and a single length of wire mounted about the neck andsupported thereon for movement solely in a plane perpendicular to theaxis of the neck, said wire pivotally supporting the cap and beingadapted for locking engagement therewith and having open ends wherebythe cap may be released.

2. In a closure device for containers havin an outlet neck, a cap forclosing said outlet neck and a single length of resilient wire mountedabout the neck and supported thereon for movement solely in a. planeperpendicular to the axis of the neck, said wire having separatedoutwardly projecting ends and pivotally connecting said cap to the neckand being adapted for lockin engagement by a catch of the cap and to edisengaged ends are pressed together. y

3. A closure device for containers having an outlet neck, comprising asleeve adapted to fit over said neck and affording a recess, anoutwardly expanding single length of spring wire retained therein andhaving its opposite ends forming actuatin fingers separated andprojecting outwar y from said sleeve, and a cap member for closinor theoutlet neck, hinged to said wire and aving a catch to snap over afurther portion of the wire for locking engagement therewith and to bedisengaged therefrom when said separated lingers are pressed together.

4. A closure device for containers havin an putlet neck, comprising asleeve adapted to ferential recess, a circular outwar y expanding single`length of spring wire retained in 'said recess and having its oppositeends forming actuating fingers separated and projecting outwardly fromsaid sleeve, and a cap member for closing the outlet neck, hinged tosaid wire and having a catch to snap over a further portion of the wirefor locking engagement therewith and to be disengaged therefrom whensaid separated lingers are pressed together.

5. A closure device for containers having an outlet neck, comprising asleeve adapted to fit over said neck and affording a circumferentialrecess, a cap member for closin the outlet neck having a hinge lug and acateg diametrically opposite each other, and a single length ofspring-wire retained in said recess, having its' opposite ends formingactuating fingers and having a portion also extending through the hingelug of thecap to form the pivot pin therefor and a portion to cooperatewith the said catch of the cap for locking engagement therewith and tobe disengaged therefrom when the said separated ngers are pressedtogether.v

6. A closure device forcontainers havin an outlet neck, comprising asleeve adapte t over said neck and affording acircumto t over said neckand affording a circumferential recess, a cap member for closing theoutlet neck having a hinge lug and a catch diametrically opposite eachother, and a spring wire retained in said recess, having its oppositeends forming 'actuatingngers and having also a flattened portionextending through the hinge lu of the cap to form the pivot pin thereforan a portion to cooperate with the said catch of the ca for lockincglengagement-therewith and to be disengage therefrom when the saidseparated ngers are pressed together.

' 7. A closure device for containers having an outlet neck, comprising asleeve adapte to fit over said neck, said sleeve having a circular. angeturned downwardly and inwardly at its edge to afford a circumferential,recess, a circular outwardly expanding spring wire retained in saidrecess and having its opposite ends forming actuatin ngers separated andprojecting outwar y from said sleeve, and a cap member hinged by saidwire to the sleeve and havingha catch adapted for' wardly from saidsleeve through a cutaway section of the turned-over flange which sectionlimits also the extent of separation of said ngers and tensions thespring, the said turned-over flange being further out away atdiametrically opposite sections, and a cap member for closing the outletneck and having a rearwardly and 'downwardly directed hinge lugregistering with one of said diametrically dis osed sections and turnedover the correspon 'ng spring portion exposed to hinge the cap to thesleeve, said cap being provided' also with a catch to register with theother of the said ydiametrically disposed sections and to snap over thecorresponding spring portion exposed for lockingengagement therewith andto be disengaged therefrom when the said separated ngers are pressedtogether.

In testimony whereof I aiiix m signature.

ALBERT WEIlgMANN.

